Last year at the NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury, Ind., the High Power Rifle Nationals were fired on electronic targets from Silver Mountain Targets. The e-targets that made their debut last summer were by all measures a huge success, and will be returning for use again in competition this year at Camp Atterbury during the High Power and F-Class National Championships.
“For 2023, we are continuing with range improvements, including 50 Silver Mountain electronic targets to support High Power Rifle and F-Class,” NRA’s Director of Competitive Shooting, Cole McCulloch, said. “We will have these targets in place for the 2023 National Matches.”
The NRA used the Silver Mountain Solo system, an open-sensor electronic target from Germany that retails for $850 per unit. David Schnelle, the owner of Silver Mountain Targets’ U.S. distributor, was at Camp Atterbury during the 2022 NRA National Matches to assist with the transition from the paper targets. “It was very nice to work with NRA on its first venture with e-targets at the National Matches,” Schenlle said. “We had a few bumps to work through the first day, but things ran perfectly smooth afterwards.”
The number-one request of NRA High Power Rifle National Championship competitors, the addition of e-targets to Range Six at Camp Atterbury last summer not only eliminated the chore of pit duty, but also provided for real-time scoring. Shooters on the firing line could view the results with live targets online using tablets or smartphones connected to Wi-Fi originating from the Solo e-target systems. After a few hiccups on day one of the 2023 NRA High Power Nationals, which were quickly rectified, the Silver Mountain electronic targets performed without any major issues for the duration of the championship—including Across-the-Course, Mid-Range and Long-Range.
High Power Rifle shooters at Camp Atterbury last summer expressed their happiness about the introduction of electronic targets at the 2022 NRA National Matches. “E-targets were a godsend, as they totally eliminated the need to pull in the pits, which was especially valuable this summer in the scorching Indiana heat,” Charles Rowe, a longtime NRA High Power shooter, said. “And, after the first day of setup and teething issues, the e-target systems generally ran flawlessly. Well done and thank you to the NRA for listening to competitors.”
In addition, by employing electronic targets, the daily matches at the High Power Nationals go by much faster than with paper targets. While there is much to be said about the camaraderie found during long days on the range spent with friends, having extra time each day is something that all High Power Rifle competitors should take note of. Last year, shooters at the NRA High Power Nationals had the opportunity to use the time saved by the use of e-targets to enjoy everything that Camp Atterbury and the local area offers.
Since the 2021 NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury, the National Rifle Association of America and its partners have been working tirelessly to improve the state of the competition. This hard work has been noticed—in 2022, there was a year-over-year increase in entries at the NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury across all three disciplines. High Power especially has enjoyed significant improvements at the National Matches, which McCulloch explained is due to “exceptional communication between NRA staff and competitors, sponsor support and range improvements, and support from the Indiana State Rifle and Pistol Association (ISRPA).” (Learn the results of the 2022 NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury by reading our recap.)
2023 NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury Registration
New for this year, by registering for the NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury prior to Wednesday, June 14, competitors can order a T-shirt, polo shirt or hoodie with the NRA National Matches logo and one of three disciplines.
Here are the prices for 2023 NRA National Matches apparel: T-shirt $20, polo shirt $45, and for the hooded sweatshirt the cost is $40.
Below is the 2023 NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury schedule. (You can view the full 2023 calendar at this link.)
- National High Power Rifle Championships: July 8-28
- National Precision Pistol Championships: July 18-22
- National Smallbore Rifle Championships: July 25-August 6
Register for the 2023 NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury at the NRA Competitive Shooting Division website: competitor.nra.org.
For more information, email [email protected].
